Have a look at this early proof of Harry Bingham’s next Fiona Griffiths novel, from Orion. And what could be more startling – aside from that magenta lettering – than the title itself: The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths? Has Bingham killed off his main character – one that fans have come to love, including our very own reviewer David Prestidge?

We’ll have to read it to find out, but here’s what we can tell you. This new book will be out on 13 March and in it the detective constable says ‘yes’ to her policeman boyfriend, and tries to put her psychological problems behind her. She suffers from Cotard’s Disease, which makes her believe she is dead. This obviously causes difficulty in real life investigative situations! Nevertheless, she decides to become an undercover investigator, takes a course, and soon enough is infiltrating a fraud ring.

Assumed identity
Now acting as Fiona Grey, she starts off as a cleaner and penetrates deep into the organisation, but the stakes are high. If she’s discovered it could spell instant death for her. And where would that leave her policeman boyfriend?

The book is set in South Wales and was written by an author who grew up in Powys. His father was a Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, so we reckon Harry Bingham knows a thing or two about crime fact as well as crime fiction. We have given five stars to both of his previous Fiona Griffiths novels, Talking to the Dead and Love Story, With Murders. And, you can read our interview with Harry Bingham here.